Hazardous Duty

America's Most Decorated Living Soldier Reports from the Front and Tells the Way It Is

By: David H. Hackworth

Narrated by: David H. Hackworth

Colonel David H. Hackworth—one of America's most decorated soldiers—served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. After retiring from the military in 1971, he completed a second tour of battlefield duty as a war correspondent. Accompanying our nation's fighting men and women to the Persian Gulf, Bosnia, Somalia, Korea, and Haiti, what he learned was shocking: high-level military incompetence, futility, and corruption.

Hazardous Duty is a necessary wake-up call for military reform—a no-holds-barred, no-punches-pulled exposé that calls America's top political and military leaders to account for selling out duty, honor, and country. A riveting, real-life adventure, this works also tells of courageous warriors on the world's new battlefields—and offers solutions to problems that must be addressed if our nation is to remain the foremost military power in a volatile and ever-changing world.

©1996 David H. Hackworth (P)1996 Phoenix Books, Inc.

Good story odd audio

The story in general was pretty good. Great information and so on. The only problem was the audio. I’m sure it was recorded over several days and there were breaks during the days they were recording. It seemed like the levels were always adjusted. Hackworths voice volume would go up and down and the tone would change sometimes. This could be because he got tired as the days went on or whatever but I would find it distracting when it would happen. Like other books he’s written it’s still good and I’d still recommend it.

Hackworth narration

nothing. Hopefully Hegseth fixes it. Trump picked a wild card. The DoD is bloated and needs to be fixed.

Excellent

Hack calls it like it is. has definitely predicted the down fall of the industrial war complex ... very true but sad

Great follow up to About Face

This book was heavy! I truly hope the suggestions are someday considered and hopefully implemented.

Sad that it was a summary or extract.

I enjoyed this very much and especially enjoyed the fact that Colonel Hackworth (Hack) read it himself.

His observations are spot on and were uncannily positioned to have helped us sort out the last 20 years, had anyone read the book during that time.

I was delighted to know that I already knew many of the things he said and possibly actually had picked them up from his journalistic writing, done sometime before he passed away. Or oddly from training I received early in my career. See below.

The thing that sets Hack aside as an author is his incredible amount of combat time and as a record of his combat, the number of decorations he held for valor. If you check his background you will find that even down to the Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM) level, perhaps, there is a bona fide V (For valor) device. Hack was the recipient of eight Purple Hearts and probably declined a Purple Heart or two for wounds he thought were less life-threatening. The man was a 50 year encyclopedia of war and every aspect burnished by his own personal experience.

Two Distinguished Service Crosses (our Army’s second highest decoration for valor), 10 Silver Stars and so forth.

From Wikipedia: “Hackworth earned over 90 U.S. and foreign military awards.”

Not unimportant is the fact that he had the opportunity to work alongside the famous historian Brigadier General SLA Marshall. That is another story and worthy of exploration in Hack’s book “About Face.” Suffice it to say he learned methods of interview, deliberation, analysis and writing from Marshall. Likely evident in his writing in each of his books and articles.

Some reviewers have said they were concerned about the way Hack read or other technical aspects, but to have the person read his own book is often a pleasure. Warts and all.

Perhaps at the time he read this, the Colonel may have been in a transitional phase, possibly already ill with the disease that would ultimately kill him. Although he does say something about his family trend of living into old age. He passed away in 2005 From a cancer that he believed came from the use of “Agent Blue,” a rice destroying chemical used to reduce rice crops in certain areas of Vietnam.

I missed a chance to meet him on an operation in Bosnia years ago and I always regretted that missed opportunity. The other day I spoke to a battalion commander I served under in the mid-70s. I had heard a story that this man had worked for Hack in Vietnam, but at the time, in the 70s there wasn’t the context. I had the opportunity to talk to this former commander last weekend. And he said yes, he did and working for Hackworth was one of the most exciting times in his life and he learned so much about warfare and life. And I thanked my former commander and said to him that I was delighted to find out that the way he also instructed me and my cohort on the same topics had come from such a man as Hack.

I now have to buy the hardcopy book, because the excerpt has left me wanting to read more.

I highly recommend this recording, but understand it is not the full book. An audible recording of his book “About Face” is available and is an incredible read. I highly recommend it is well.